Luke Wood
Contributing Writer
lwood10@murraystate.edu

When one goes through Benton, Kentucky court square on the first Monday in April, they will be greeted by a nearly 200-year tradition.

The Tater Day Festival dates back to the mid-19th century. It was a three-day festival,  farmers market style, that happened on the county court square. However the normally annual festival has not happened for the past two years due to COVID-19.

At the 2022 Tater Day Festival there will be vendors at the Artisan Market with an array of goods for sale along with a wide range of activities for attendees such as carnival rides, a demolition derby, a dog show and much more.

Tater Day began as an event for townspeople to celebrate spring and trade sweet potatoes, but it eventually evolved into a celebration to honor the sweet potato as well as the people who grew them. It is the only festival in the world meant for the celebration of sweet potatoes.

The festival became an annual tradition expanding further from the original idea of the farmers market and into the carnival theme. The festival continues to adapt and change over time.

“Although the meaning has changed over the years, the idea of celebration, as well as uniting as a county, has continually stayed the same,” local resident Helen Wood said.

Marshall County residents are excited for this year’s festival, considering the last  two years Tater Day has been unable to occur because of  COVID-19 protocols. Being a gathering of a large group of people in a confined space broke every protocol they had.

“I am looking forward to having Tater Day this year as much as anyone, but we must  follow the guidelines set in place for everything to run smoothly,” City of Benton Mayor Rita Dotson said.

The county will not require masks, but will encourage them to be worn, as well as watching the CDC guidelines and state and national regulations.

Along with Tater Day’s festivities local political figures use the festival window for campaigning purposes, as well as a meet and greet with the public.

“Marshall County thrives off Tater Day, and as a political figure in this county, I depend  on it to advance my platform,” County Commissioner Monti Collins said. “I also use this to my advantage when it comes to advertising my locally owned real-estate business.”

In a year in which COVID-19 has halted so many public activities, some people feel as if this is a step back to normalcy.

“We must fight back and take steps into getting back to normality,” local preacher Robert Chandler said. “I feel as if there is no better way than us going forward with having Tater Day.”

For those interested the full Tater Day Festival schedule, it can be seen at explorekentuckylake.com/events/tater-day.